In 1999, only banks had ATMs in Australia and they often weren't located where people wanted cash.

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Tim Wildash saw how non-bank businesses were rolling out ATM networks in the USA, providing cash to consumers in places and venues where they wanted to spend.

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Through the early 2000's Tim fought the banks and regulators for the right to charge consumers directly, bypassing or complementing the existing interchange system.

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The direct-charging model underpinned the roll-out of Australia's non-bank ATM fleet, into venues, clubs, petrol stations, convenience stores and communities where no bank ATM could be found.

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Of course, no one likes paying a fee, but consumers understand an upfront, transparent, direct charge more than a hidden interchange levy that can't be avoided.

Now Tim leads Next Payments, a market leader in the ATM industry with 150 staff and 4,600 machines deployed in Australia and New Zealand. When a bank leaves town, Tim is prepared to invest in a community and deploy an ATM to keep cash flowing.

Recently, Next Payments launched a new EFTPOS terminal but Tim remains a committed cash user and advocate for our right to access cash easily and cheaply.

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Tim is particularly concerned about the potential for social profiling to be used against consumers.

‍"If you buy take away food or have a bet you can immediately be red-flagged by your bank or card company," said Tim Wildash.

‍"Data is the new oil and digital transactions create bucket loads of personal information that can be used to manipulate and assess you."‍

‍"Every Australian needs to be able to access cash to ensure we can keep control of our personal information, our privacy and our budget."

"Without cash there can be no guarantee our information is confidential, every transaction we make can be tracked and traced and we can be judged on our spending habits by lenders, banks and government."

"I'm a strong believer in the cash economy and our right to choose how we pay."